MATE.

Type: Retail Store
Client: MATE.
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Status: Completed, May 2021

Photographs by: Spacon & X

FAST FORWARD TO THE FUTURE OF RETAIL: tradition unapologetically meets innovation

The iconic eBike brand MATE, co-owned by Jay-Z, is looking towards permanent retail and expanding MATE into new categories and beyond with its first flagship store in Copenhagen.

Not only did we develop a physical retail environment for a boundary-pushing experience for MATE but also transcended into a digital space where we were released from the limitations of physics. Integrating a virtual experience in space enables the customers to see deeper into the imaginative universe we have developed alongside MATE.

In this case, the use of a 180 degree panoramic screen makes it possible to mount a physical MATE bike while exploring a virtual glimpse of our imagination. Customers can travel through an array of virtual worlds ranging from serene snowy mountains through underwater ruins, burning cityscapes and into the stratosphere, departing the retail environment altogether to embark on a psychedelic trip.

UNAPOLOGETIC EXPRESSION

“Since the beginning of the design process, we have had the goal of creating an unapologetic spatial expression. This e-bike with it’s powerful design and throttle makes absolutely no excuses for itself, and neither should the space. We have painted the space black, contrasted by shiny raw steel and light tubes. That being said, we have still drawn from our nordic design traditions in the attention to details and surfaces. The textile curtains add a contrast to the industrial expression with their light and airy tactility.”
-Nikoline Dyrup Carlsen, Architect and Co-founder of Spacon & X

SETTING THE STAGE FOR THE MATE EXPERIENCE

“We see a shift in brands and consumers’ expectations of the physical retail space. Instead of having the main focus on shelf space and sales per square meter, the focus is now more on setting the stage for the brands, and rewarding the visitors with a physical experience to remember. The MATE Flagship Store is no exception to this development -Here you can try a mate bike within abstract digital architectural settings. You are also able to enter the assembly space to participate in customising your own bike and experience artist residencies.”
-Svend Jacob Pedersen, Designer and Co-founder of Spacon & X

The white space to the right is the designated retail space. Heavy lit with the reflective steel floor that highlights the bikes and the products. We have built custom made modular shelving systems that flow throughout the space. With its flexibility we are able to create a cohesive space throughout by allowing the system to inhabit both walls and ceilings.

As a total contrast to the retail zone, in the black space we are met with a world of hot flavours. A Mars-like rock formation for exhibition lies between hard walls, softened with curtains and outlandish flowers. Cacti’s and ever-changing neon tubes transform the space into something magical. We have constructed furniture in stainless steel, designed within the principles of Scandinavian tradition while being liberated from convention.

Finally, the backspace or the assembly zone functions as a collaborative space. A rather hard but playful space. It invites for exploration of the imagination with its honest yet powerful design. Backlit with polycarbonate and neon tubes, this space could also function as a nightclub. A gold and silver metallic curtain in the corner, fractures light into small funky universes and disrupts the space.

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